Letters to the editor on border crisis, GOP digging, Joe Edwards

Children are crossing the Mexican border looking for their families. In many cases, their parents came to escape crises such as the poverty in Guatemala and the murders in Honduras.

This immigration is not new but has been going on for some time. Gangs and the war on drugs are problems but not the cause of this situation. The main causes are the North American Free Trade Agreement and the Central America Free Trade Agreement, which allow Canadians and Americans to dump subsidized corn and other crops on Mexico and Central America, whose farmers cannot compete and are forced off their land.

Children are the victims. We need to stop blaming them and be adults.

DON ANDERSON

Winfield

Still digging

You have to stop digging before you can fill up the hole. During the past election cycle, the Republican Party purged moderation and reason from most of the ranks of our Legislature. Compromise went out the window as well. Now state legislators have transferred the economic mess they created down to local governing bodies – this during a time when our state’s economy should be on the rebound.

All their creative accounting isn’t going to make this situation any better. Local officials are now faced with cutting critical services or raising taxes just to maintain the status quo – a status of deferred maintenance and budgets cut to the bone. Meanwhile at the Capitol, they’re still digging.

KEITH THOMAS

Park City

Re-elect Edwards

For four years I held the state representative seat for District 93 now held by Rep. Joe Edwards, R-Haysville. Edwards is finishing his first term and deserves another. He works hard, stands up for what he believes is right and listens to the people of the district.

In the past election, a hit squad worked to destroy the reputations of many state senators in Kansas, including me. Its use of lies, distortions and character assassination changed the nature of politics in Kansas. Issues and truth didn’t matter.

If these smear tactics are used against Edwards, I hope you will call him on his cellphone and get the truth about the allegations lodged against him. His cell number is 316-619-3779. Let’s send Joe Edwards back to Topeka.

DICK KELSEY

Goddard

Letters deadline

Letters to the editor about the Aug. 5 primary election must be received at The Eagle by noon Thursday in order to be considered for publication.

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